Centrifugal separating apparatus



I Nov. 15, 1927.

. 1,649,346 F. GRIMBLE ET AL CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 18, 1926 [pa/e 7260776 Attorneys Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

'-"UNITED STATES v 1,649,346 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK GRIMBLE, MIATTHEW NIMMO GAIRD, AND EDWARD COOMBS,OF LONDON,

I ENGLAND.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING APPARATUS.

Application filed oveznber 18, 1926, Serial No.

Our invention relates to an improved method of mounting and driving centr1fugal sparating apparatus of the type in which asuitable circular bowl is provided containinga number of conical or other suitably shaped discs which act to separate liquids fed into the bowl when the latter is rotated at a suitable high rate of revolutio'n. Q s i It is Well known that in transferring rotary movement to bodies similar to the circular bowlsused in this type of apparatus, excessiveradialstrains are thrown on the main shaft and its bearings. These strains coupled with the weight of the bowl and its movable accessories throw a rather high combined torsion and bending action upon the shaft, particularly as the shaft does not transmit uniform .torqueJ The footstep or pivot bearing of the shaft also has to be designed to support an appreciable load, consequently it is desirable to protect the bearings and journalsof the main shaftfrom injury or risk of injury as far as possible.

. The object of the present invention is to provide a method of mounting and arranging the transmissiongear and bearings, and driving the main vertical shaftwhich will meet more efiiciently than at present the peculiar requirements entailed in the'driving of centrifugal separating apparatus, and for this purpose the various transmission gears, bearings and journals of the whole-of the driving gear are necessarily related to each other.

The invention consists in the combination incentrifugal separating apparatus of the type referred to of a bowl carried atthe upper end of the main shaft in such a manner that it is free to oscillateto a limited extent upon the upper end of the shaft, a bearing between the ends of the main shaft which is radially movably: mounted so as to permit the shaft 'to sway and a driving shaft mounted in fixed'bearings and supporting and driving the main shaft at'its lower end througha universal coupling. In carrying this invention into practice, the vertical'or main shaft upon which the centrifugal separator is mounted is provided with a tapered or conical upper end adapted to engage in a suitably shaped socket the apparatus and having a cotter or series of recesses or projections adapted to engage with corresponding projections or recesses 149,157, and in Great Britain October 2 0, 1925.

in the socket soasto provide a driving engagement between the shaft and the bowl of the separator. I V

The socket is secured in the base of the separator-bowl and projects up into the interior thereof. Itis provided with ahollow. conical recess on its underside into which the conical upper end of the shaftengages so that the weightof the bowl will rest upon the upper end thereof. This recess is enlarged towards its lower end to accommodate'the cotter upon the shaft. The socket is pro vided with a suitable flange by'which it is secured in the base ofthe separator bowl and may be riveted or otherwise secured in position.

The base plate and hollow central feeding tube is mounted upon the outside of'the socket and for this purpose the socketis provided with a number of radial projectionsat its upper end which fit closely Within the bore of the hollow sleeve of the base plate wh lst the outer edge of the conical base of the baseiplate rests uponithe. base of the separator bowl. These maybe of helical form and the holes in. the conical base may be inclined. In this manner, the base plate and the separating plates supported above it are mounted and retained in a. truly central position, whilst a free passage is pro vided for the incoming material fed down the central sleeve of the base plate and which passes between it and the conical portion of the socket through the space provided belZYiYQQ-Il the radial projections at the top there- -0 base plate near its periphery to permit the liquid to pass out into the bowl of the separator for treatment. The base plate and separatorplates engage over and are located by theconic'al socket secured in the separator bowl, Whilst this in turn engages .over the tapered upper end of the shaft and is driven by the collar thereon. These parts are thus located correctly relatively to each other and are supported in such a manner that they maybe readily removed by lifting them together or separately. At the same timedangerous and excessive stresses on the shaft-are avoided. I i

Thevvertical shaft is mounted in a floating bearing in the base of an outer casing which bearing is preferably formed in a number of separate sections adapted to be held up to the shaft by spring pressure. The

Suitable apertures are provided in the I base of the shaft is connected to a suitable gear box and a universal or flexible joint is interposed between them. In the gear box are provided one, two or more sets of worm and wheel gear by which the vertical shaft of the centrifugal separator is driven by the horizontal shaft of an electric or other mo tor mounted directly on the base plate of the machine. Between the gear box and the motor is interposed a centrifugal, magnetic, friction or other suitable form of clutch. A. suitably rotary or other oil pump is mounted on the gear box or other suitable part of the machine from which it is driven to circulate oil to the various parts of the machine such as the gear box, the bearings and other parts of the separator to ensure adequate lubrication of these parts.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we have appended hereto one sheet of drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of same, and wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the complete separating apparatus and driving mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan of the floating bearing for the main vertical shaft, and

Fig. 3 is a view of the gear connecting the main vertical shaft to the primary shaft.

"Referring to the drawings to describe more in detail this invention, it is preferred to commence from the bowl of the separator and work downwards towards the prime mover so that the relationship of the various parts of the driving gear can be clearly followed.

The'bowl 1 is provided with a concentric axially arranged socket 2 having a flanged base 3 whereby it may be riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to the raised annular base 4 of the bowl 1. This socket 2 has a gun metal or other suitable part spherical bearing block 5 in its upper end which rests upon the part spherical upper end 6 of the main shaft 7. This upper end 6 of the main shaft is in the form of part of an elongated cone, its lower end, where it is united to the shaft 7 having a more abbreviated conical portion 6. The socket 2 is shaped internally to correspond with the configuration of this upper end of the main shaft, the internal surface of the socket being struck at bigger radii than the corresponding parts of the upper end of the shaft 7 to provide an annular clearance 8, whereby the bowl 1 can oscillate upon the upper extremity of the shaft 7.

The degree of oscillation of the bowl 1 is limited by an annular ring 9 secured against the under face of the socket flange 3, the ring 9 being disposed about the shaft 7 and having a small clearance therefrom. An interchangeable driving cotter 10 is passed diametrically through the shaft 7 and is accommodated within a substantially correspondingly shaped but slightly larger recess in the base of the socket 2.

The annular ring 9 may be interchangeable. This slight oscillation of the bowl 1 relative to the shaft 7 will obviate appreciably any tendency of the shaft 7 to sway, but will not entirely obviate this tendency, consequently in order to obtain the benefit of this slight oscillation and to absorb radial shock on the shaft 7, some means must be provided with the usual bearing in which the shaft 7 is journalled beneath the bowl 1, to absorb lateral shock by allowing the shaft to sway. This is eflected by making the said bearing a floating bush 11 disposed within a housing 12 and having an annular clearance 13 from the inner wall of the housing. The housing 12 is provided with a number of radial chambers 14 each accommodating a strong coiled spring 15 into the inner end of each of which is engaged a spigot 16 engaged in a recess in the bush 11. The compression of the springs 15 can be adjusted by grub screws 17 in well tit) pling 22 which will allow the block 19 to receive the axial thrust of the shaft 7 and will allow the shaft 7 to move at small angles in relation to the axis of the block 19.

In order to avoid injury to the block 19 and its housing when the bowl 1 is placed upon the top of the shaft 7, a. strong coiled spring 21 is disposed beneath the block 19 and engages a spigot 19 depending from the block 19. During the working of the apparatus the block 19 is depressed upon its seating, but when the bowl 1 is removed, the weight acting against the spring 21 is considerably reduced and the spring raises the block 19 off its seating, consequently if when replacing the bowl 1 it is accidentially dropped on to the upper end of the shaft 7, the spring 21 absorbs the shock and prevents injury to the block 19 and the shaft. This is very important because if the block 19 became in any way injured it might interfere with the proper functioning of the universal coupling 22 and consequently affect the utility of the floating bearing 11.

The footstep bearing housing is formed with an integral shank or shaft 23 into which is threaded the upper end of aworm shaft 24 which is supported top and bottom ends by ball bearings 25 and 26 respectively aocommodated in race housings provided in a transmission gear housing 29 provided with a race 27 for the support of one end of a horizontal shaft 28 coupled at the other end to a prime mover which may be an electric motor 30. I

The outer end of the shaft 28 carries a helical gear Wheel 31 which meshes with a further gear wheel 32 on a lay shaft 33. This lay shaft carries a worm wheel 34 which meshes with the worm shaft 24, a steep pitch worm preferably being provided to obtain an easy transmission. This form of transmission to the shaft 7 obtains an easy and eflicient turning movement which obviates appreciably vibration of the shaft 7 If desired the lay shaft 33 may have associated with it in any well known manner a change speed gear.

To prevent injury to the various bearings and the prime mover, when the prime mover is stopped, a centrifugal clutch 35 is preferably provided for connecting the horizontal shaft 28 to the prime mover.

A suitable lubricating oil circulating pump 36 is provided for circulating the oil to the necessary parts of the apparatus. A pump 38 can also be provided for supplying the bowl with the commodity to be separated, or can be utilized for emptying the traps adapted to receive the separated liquids.

A hydraulic, electromagnetic or hand operated brake 37 is preferably provided for arresting the rotation of the bowl when desired.

We claim :5-

In apparatus of the class described, vertical main shaft, a reduced extension on the upper end of said shaft, said shaft having a shoulder adjacent said extension, a driven member carried on the upper end of said shaft and having a central sleeve loosely sur-.

rounding the upper end of said shaft, a bearing block in said sleeve engaging said extension, an annular ring on said sleeve for limiting the movement thereof with respectto said shaft, recesses in said sleeve and a driving cotter fixed to said shaft and loosely engaging said recesses.

FRANK GRIMBLE. MATTHEW NIMMO CAIRD. EDWARD COOMBS. 

